Friday, April 10, 2015

Maxwell's pinch-hit single lifts Giants over Padres in 12

Pinch-hitter Justin Maxwell's RBI single with two outs in the 12th inning lifted the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Padres on Thursday at Petco Park.

With one out in the inning, Brandon Crawford reached base and advanced to second when shortstop Clint Barmes was charged with an error on a ball hit to shallow left field. That set the stage for Maxwell's heroics, a hard-hit single to center field off Padres reliever Nick Vincent. More >

San Francisco pitcher Tim Hudson had a funky line, but it worked for him. He walked five in 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits. The Giants turned three of their four double plays behind him.

The game was played before a sold-out crowd of 45,150 at Petco Park in the home opener for the Padres, who dropped two of three against the Dodgers to start the season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDPitching change: A year after leading the staff in innings (201), Kennedy left the game with one out in the third inning with a strained left hamstring. Before he left, Kennedy allowed two hits, had two walks and two strikeouts. If the Padres need someone to take his place for any length of time -- and that hasn't been determined -- Despaigne is likely it. More >

Missed chance: The Giants could not score in the ninth inning despite having runners on the corners with nobody out. After jawing briefly with Padres catcher Derek Norris -- apparently regarding stepping out of the batter's box --Angel Pagan lined a leadoff triple off Craig Kimbrel, San Diego's recently acquired closer. But after Buster Posey walked, Crawford popped up andCasey McGehee grounded into a double play.

Hail, Hudson: Hudson again proved that there's no substitute for guile. The 39-year-old struck out one batter in 6 1/3 innings, but consistently coaxed the Padres to hit his pitch, inducing three double-play grounders in the first five innings. San Diego went 0-for-6 off Hudson with runners in scoring position.More >

What might have been: Hudson was downright nasty, but the Padres certainly had their chances. They had two on with one out in the second inning but Jedd Gyorko bounced into a 5-4-3 double play. Then, after the first two batters of the fifth reached on hits, Gyorko hit into a double play again, this one going 6-4-3. In all, the Padres hit into four double plays. More >

QUOTABLE"That's on me. I'm not putting anything on him [Justin Upton]. I've got to get that ball, plain and simple." -- Padres shortstop Clint Barmes on his error in the 12th inning, which set up the lone run of the game.

"He was making some tough pitches, but I faced him a few years ago so I kind of knew what he featured." -- Maxwell on his game-winning hit in the top of the 12th.

VENABLE, BLACK EJECTEDSan Diego outfielder Will Venable and manager Bud Black were ejected in the 12th inning after Venable was called out on strikes by plate umpire Tripp Gibson III. Black came out to intervene between Venable and Gibson and then was also ejected, he said later, for his "vocabulary." It was the first ejection of the season for Venable and Black.

REPLAY REVIEWBlack challenged a close call at first base in the bottom of the third inning as Despaigne bunted into a 1-6-4 double play and was ruled out as Giants second baseman Joe Panik covered first base on a close play. Replay confirmed the call.

In the eighth inning, Black challenged a tag play as Matt Duffy went from first to second base on a fly ball to right fielder Matt Kemp. Duffy beat the throw and was ruled safe. Replay confirmed.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSSan Diego's Norris has always been considered an offensive catcher. And while that may never change, his defense hasn't looked too bad thus far. When he threw out McGehee trying to steal third base in the second inning Thursday, it was already his fourth catcher caught stealing (CCS) of the season (in four games). He had eight in 114 games in 2014 with the A's.

WHAT'S NEXTGiants: Tim Lincecum will be out to prove that he's no ordinary No. 5 starter. Lincecum pitched himself back into the rotation this spring after pitching himself out of it last year when he went 1-3 with a 9.49 ERA in six late-season starts.

Padres: The second game of the four-game series at 7:10 p.m. PT will give Padres' fans the first chance to see newcomer Brandon Morrow, the team's fifth starter, for the first time. Morrow won the final spot in the rotation as Despaigne began the year in long relief.